Director Bobby Farrelly, whose previous collaborations with his brother Peter Farrelly generated enormously popular comedies (There’s Something About Mary and Dumb and Dumber), goes solo with the comedy/drama, Champions, a good natured, entertaining tale of soul searching and redemption that features an engaging performance by Woody Harrelson.
Marcus (Harrelson), an assistant basketball coach, yearns to rise in the coaching ranks, but his headstrong temper gets him fired and court ordered to coach a youth team comprised of an odd assortment of players, many of whom are intellectually challenged. A hard drinker, at times self-centered and reckless, he knows game strategy X’s and O’s, but what he lacks is building relationships. To complicate things, the sister of one player is an old flame who holds bad memories. However, people can surprise you when given a chance with good coaching and mentoring. As the team remarkably rises to the occasion, it all comes down to an important game, and the players must overcome adversity to prove themselves.
It’s the classic story of underdogs (with echoes of The Mighty Ducks and Hoosiers) who learn to band together as a team, and part of the fun is watching them build rapport among themselves and with their new coach. Of course, this is an opportunity for Marcus to not only learn from his players, but reassess his priorities and realize what really makes him happy.
Farrelly
retains his past, comedic touches as a
number of lines and sight gags are funny and occasionally gross, and the
film just misses becoming something special by not fully exploring the changes
in Marcus. Yes, you’ve seen this ‘feel good’ scenario before, but the play is
the thing, and Harrelson and company do a winning job of it.
***
of **** stars (add ½* for Woody fans)
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